The international edition of the contest consolidates its worldwide growth
The LightPainting Contest 2026 already has its winners.
The second edition of the contest — and the first fully international edition — has represented a huge leap forward in quality, participation and international reach, consolidating itself as one of the most promising specialized Light Painting contests worldwide.
Organized by Ledlenser España and Children Of Darklight, the contest was created with the goal of continuing to give value, visibility and recognition to the art of Light Painting on a global scale, bringing together artists from many different countries and artistic styles under a shared passion: painting with light.
An international edition with great impact
The 2026 edition of the LightPainting Contest marked a turning point in the history of the competition, becoming for the first time a fully international edition and consolidating the project’s growth beyond national borders.
The response from the global Light Painting community far exceeded our expectations, both in terms of participation and the artistic quality of the submitted works.
During this edition, a total of 138 photographs were submitted by 74 artists, representing 17 different countries.
In addition to the growth in participation, this edition stood out especially for:
- the outstanding technical and artistic level of the submitted works,
- the variety of styles represented,
- the geographical diversity,
- and the consolidation of the contest as an international platform for the promotion of Light Painting.
A total of 38 artworks received points from the jury, reflecting how competitive and closely contested this edition truly was.
International participation reached 37.7% of the total submitted works, an important figure considering this was the very first international edition of the contest.s presentadas, una cifra muy importante para tratarse de la primera edición internacional del certamen.
International Participation
Spain continues to be the country with the highest representation within the contest, demonstrating the strength and consolidation of the Spanish Light Painting community.
However, one of the most exciting aspects of this edition was seeing artists from many different parts of the world joining the project.
Participating countries included:
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- United States
- Czech Republic
- Russia
- Japan
- China
- Hong Kong
- Malaysia
- Costa Rica
- Canada
- Belgium
- Mexico
- Australia
- Portugal
The international presence not only brought visual and technical diversity to the contest, but also helped reinforce the idea that Light Painting is a universal artistic language, capable of connecting artists from very different cultures and styles through light.
A contest with global reach
The international participation map perfectly reflects the growth and expansion of the contest during this 2026 edition.
Artists from Europe, America, Asia and Oceania took part in this edition, helping position the contest within the international contemporary Light Painting scene.
All this motivates us to continue working so future editions can keep growing in:
- international reach,
- participation,
- artistic quality,
- visibility for artists,
- and recognition for the art of Light Painting.
The incredible reception of this edition confirms that there is a passionate, active and highly talented international community eager to continue creating, sharing and inspiring through light.
WINNERS — LIGHTPAINTING CONTEST 2026
🥇FIRST PRIZE
“CONJURO”
GuillerFoto (@guillerfoto)
The artwork “Conjuro” achieved first place thanks to a visually powerful proposal filled with symbolism, technique and strong aesthetic impact, becoming one of the most remarkable images of the entire edition.
Prize:
- LedLenser P18R
- $200 Gift Card for LightPaintingBrushes Store
🥈 SECOND PRIZE
“25 Seconds”
Éric Marynower (@eric_marynower)
The photograph “25 Seconds” stood out for its originality, execution and expressive power, presenting a very personal and creative proposal that deeply impressed the jury.
Prize:
- LedLenser P7R
- $100 Gift Card for LightPaintingBrushes Store
🥉 THIRD PRIZE
“SRA.ROSA”
Iván Capi (@ivanxcapi)
“SRA.ROSA” captivated the jury with its visual elegance, minimalism and compositional strength, achieving a highly powerful image with a strong artistic identity.
Prize:
- LedLenser P6R Core QC
- $50 Gift Card for LightPaintingBrushes Store
FINAL TOP 10
The contest’s final TOP 10 was composed of:
🥇 #1 GuillerFoto — @guillerfoto 🇪🇸 (ES)
🥈 #2 Éric Marynower — @eric_marynower 🇧🇪 (BE)
🥉 #3 Iván Capi — @ivanxcapi 🇪🇸 (ES)
🏅 #4 Phill Fisher — @phill_fisher 🇬🇧 (GB)
🏅 #5 Susan Magnano — @susan_magnano 🇺🇸 (US)
🏅 #6 Galina Gordeeva — @galina_gordeeva 🇷🇺 (RU)
🏅 #7 kreslenisvetlem — @kreslenisvetlem 🇨🇿 (CZ)
🏅 #8 Fade to Black Light Art — @fade_to_black_light_art 🇬🇧 (GB)
🏅 #9 Éric Marynower — @eric_marynower 🇧🇪 (BE)
🏅 #10 OMD — @oscar_martin_diaz_photography 🇪🇸 (ES)
We would especially like to highlight the extraordinary artistic level achieved by all finalists and thank every participant for their creativity, passion and dedication.
The Jury
The jury for this edition was composed of internationally recognized Light Painting artists and professionals:
- Denis Smith (@theballoflight)
- Alexandra Lunar (@xandra_lunar)
- Jordi Sancliment (@sancliphoto)
- David Araujo (@david_araujo_vazquez)
- Pedro Javier Alcázar (@elninodelasluces)
- Iris Cebrián (@shyroii)
- Frodo Álvarez DKL / Children Of Darklight (@childrenofdarklight)
- Ricardo Sánchez — LedLenser Spain (@ledlenser_spain)
Their involvement, artistic criteria and professionalism were essential in managing an edition with such a high level of participation and quality.
Acknowledgements
From the organization, we would like to deeply thank:
- All participating artists.
- The jury members for their time and involvement.
- The media outlets and communities that helped spread the contest worldwide.
- All followers and Light Painting enthusiasts who shared and supported this edition.
And especially our main sponsors:
LedLenser Spain
For once again supporting the contest and providing high-level prizes for participating artists.
Light Painting Brushes
For joining this international edition, supporting the growth of the contest and providing gift cards for the winners.
We would also like to thank the support and collaboration of:
COMING SOON: Exhibition at 95 Gallery
Very soon we will announce the physical exhibition of selected and finalist artworks at 95 GALLERY (Madrid), where some of the most outstanding photographs from this international edition will be displayed.
The exhibition will also serve as a meeting point to continue sharing and celebrating the art of Light Painting.
See You in 2027
The incredible reception of this edition encourages us to keep growing and working so the contest can continue evolving in future editions with:
- greater international reach,
- more participation,
- increased visibility for artists,
- and even better prizes and collaborations.
We hope to see you all again next year.
✨ We Are Light // Somos Luz ✨
#LightPainting #ConcursoLightPainting #LightPaintingContest #ChildrenOfDarklight #LedLenser #LightPaintingBrushes #LightArt #FotografíaCreativa #LongExposure #DKL
